Volume 30, Issue 171, May 2026

Urolithiasis in pregnancy – diagnostic management and proper treatment. A literature review

Gabriela Krych^1♦, Bartłomiej Kazimierski¹, Aleksandra Rusak², Joanna Oklińska¹, Michał Skóra¹, Klaudia Jadczak³, Weronika Gniado¹, Dawid Mądry¹

¹Provincial Complex Hospital named after Jędrzej Śniadecki in Białystok, ul. M. Curie-Skłodowskiej 26, 15-950 Białystok, Poland
²The Nicolaus Copernicus Municipal Polyclinical Hospital in Olsztyn, ul. Niepodległości 44, 10-045 Olsztyn, Poland
³University Clinical Hospital in Białystok, ul. M. Curie-Skłodowskiej 26, 15-276 Białystok, Poland

^♦Corresponding author
Gabriela Krych, Provincial Complex Hospital named after Jędrzej Śniadecki in Białystok, ul. M. Curie-Skłodowskiej 26, 15-950 Białystok, Poland

ABSTRACT

Out of every 200 to 2000 pregnancies, 1 will have urolithiasis or urinary tract stones, mak-ing urolithiasis one of the leading causes of non-pregnancy-related hospitalizations among pregnant women. The majority of cases of urolithiasis occur during the second and third trimesters, especially in women who have delivered at least once previously. The complica-tions associated with urolithiasis include preterm labor, preeclampsia, urosepsis, and renal failure, and can endanger both mother and fetus. Diagnosing urolithiasis in pregnant women can be quite challenging. The limitations of imaging studies additionally complicate the situation. As a result, many healthcare professionals mistakenly misdiagnose this condition in pregnant patients. Although ultrasonography is the preferred imaging modality for diagnos-ing urolithiasis, it has limitations regarding both sensitivity and inter-operator variability. Transvaginal ultrasound improves the identification of distal ureteral stones. Magnetic Res-onance Imaging (MRI) is another option for diagnosing urolithiasis and is very sensitive, but it is not a great option because of limited access/availability and time constraints. Low-dose computed tomography (CT) is a viable option for difficult diagnoses but poses a risk for radiation exposure, so it should be reserved for difficult cases only. Generally, manage-ment of kidney stones begins conservatively with pain management and hydration; howev-er, some patients may require surgical interventions such as Double-J stent placement, nephrostomy, or ureteroscopy; therefore, this study must serve as a synthesis of current clinical guidelines for providing evidence-based management for renal calculi (kidney stones) in pregnant women.

Keywords: urolithiasis, renal colic, pregnancy, ureteral stent, nephrostomy

Medical Science, 2026, 30, e81ms3869

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Published: 03 May 2026